Booth game



A. VALLAT Aug. 23, 1927.

BOOTH GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16. 1926 A. VALLAT BOOTH GAME Aug. 23, 1927.

Filed Dec. 16. 1926 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 23, 1927. 1

UNITED STATES minim vamr, or rams, runes, ABSIGNOB To 1L 80L means, or nos anama,

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BOOTH GAME.

Application fled December 18 1928, Serial No. 155,251, and in France August 9, 1926.

My invention relates to a new game requiring skill chiefly for booths and places of amusement. In my new ers are each provided with a slung-rod with which they t to catch facsimile fish moving in front 0 them. -When a fish is caught and taken out by the layer, an electric contact disposed in the shing rod is closed by the weight ofthe fish and causes an intense light tobe produced and simultaneously the shutter of a photographic apparatus directed towards the player to be opened whereby the latter is photographed whilst he is catching the fish. Of course the release of the shutter can be operated in any suitable manner. t

The eiitire game is disposed within the 1nterior of a shed which is decorated not only in front of the player, the same as 1n ordinary 2o booths etc., but also on the inner surface of the counter or barrier over which the game is played so as to form, a settlng when the player is photographed by the photographic apparatus.

My invention comprises a number of detail features namely:

1. The arrangement of the cabins containing the light producing apparatus and the photographic apparatuses.

2. The means for making the fish move 1n front of the players. g. I

3. The electric device for supervising the game and controlling its duration.

A form of execution of my invention is shown by way of example, on appended drawings whereof Fig. 1 is a perspective view partly sectional of a booth shed for my new ame wherein the light producing and p otographic apparatuses are disposed in parallel lines.

Fig. 2 shows a form of execution of shutter releasing device.

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Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electric connections.

Fig. 4 is a general plan view of the game the photographic apparatuses being disposed obliquely with reference to the players.

Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe device forcin the water through its container in view 0 making the fish move.

Through a hollow fishing rod 1 (Figs. 1 and 2) held by the player is passedthe line 2 passing over a small ulley 3 and bear n at its end an equilibratmg weight replacing ame, the playaway from the small plate 11.

the cork and a hook 5 replacin the bait. The end of the line passing throng the rod is secured to the stem 6 ot the piston 7 this stem asses through the. guiding plates 8 and 9. he piston 7 bears two contacting parts 10 adapted to be electrically connected by .a small conductin plate 11 home by the plate 8 on' the si e directed towards the said contacts. These contacts are connected with the electric circuit through two yielding connections 12 and a flexible wire 13 (Fig. 2). A spring 14 keeps normally the contacts 10 Suitabl weighted fish 15 of wood or celluloid are V isposed in a pond or river 16 of roper shape wherein they are made to move a current produced by a turbine 17 (Fig.

5; the axis of which may be inclined so. as to form waves, by a paddle wheel or the like.

These fish (mackerels, herrings, gurnets,

comic subjects, lobsters, crabs, etc.) are provided with a ring 18 which can be caught by the hook 5 of the players fishing rod.

When a fish is caught and lifted, its suitably calculated weight draws the line 2, com resses the spring 14 and makes the piston approach. the stop 8 whereby the circuit is closed through the contacts 10 coming against the. small plate 11.

In front of the player and of his rod is disposed a light producing cabin 10 wherein flash-powder is made to explode or containmg any other suitable source of light. Next to the cabin 19is disposed a photographic apparatus 20.

As soon as the circuit is closed at 10-11 the current flows through an electromagnet 21 (Fig. 3) which controls simultaneously with a suitable delay the magnesium igniter 22 and the shutter 23 of the photographic ap aratus. The skillful pla er who catches a sh is thus immediately photographed.

A clockwork 24 com rising a lamp or a bellis inserted in series 1n the electric circuit and allows the duration of the game to be exactly timed. It closes a contact when the game begms and opens it automatically when the time allowed for the game is passed by. This clockwork is set going either manually by the owner of the ame or automatically b insertion of a coin or the like into asuita 1e device.

The illuminating and photographic appag ratuses are preferably placed obliquely with reference to the players as shown on Fig. 4

whereby the latter can be photographed from three quarters and the distance between the apparatus and the layer is great enough without the shed being very wide. Moreover this allows a greater number of apparatuses to be disposed in a shed of a given size and the said apparatuses to be more easily hidden by a scenery 25 (Flg. 1).

The arran' ement shows moreover as stated not on y a rear scenery but also a front scenery 25 whereby an artistic appearance is given to the photographs obtarned.

The form of execution shown is given solely by way of example and the game can be executed in any other manner and with a very different combination of parts. Thus for instance the line instead of passing through the rod and of actuating a slidin contact b drawing. it along can be dispose laterally ike those used for pike fishing and be wound over a drum wherein is disposed an oscillating contact which closes as soon as the line is drawn whereby the drum is a little rotated. The fish instead of floating in a moving liquid may be disposed between rows of scenery showing water and water weeds, the fish being carried in baskets or the like disposed on a shaft provided with eccentric cams or cranks so as to make the heads of the fish periodically appear and disappear. In this form of execution whereln the water is suppressed, the scenery is dis posed on both sides of the fish so as to give a pleasin appearance to the photograph obtained. The fish can also be disposed on a conveyor whereon they are secured by yielding jaws which release the fish as soon as they are caught. The shed instead of being rectangular can be circular, the photographic apparatuses being directed radially around the centre and the artificial river appearing-as a circular ring. Also in a rectangular shed the water can be disposed in a pond divided by a longitudinal partition open only at the two ends. The players can thus try to catch the fish moving in both directions.

The essential novel feature of my invention which is the closing of an electric circuit by a contact placed on a fishing rod when a heavy movable fish is hooked on to the rod can be used also in lotteries for starting a bell, a siren or for lighting a lamp so as to announce a winner.

The circuits of each apparatus mounted in parallel and the motor actuating the turbine can be fed either with A. C. or D. C. by any electric generator or from the mains.

What I claim is:

1. A booth game comprising a fishing-rod, a line secured to the fishing rod, a hook at the outer end of the line, an electric circuit, a number of objects adapted to move in front of the hook, a ring borne h each object and adapted to engage said hoo ,a switch in said circuit borne by the rod and ada ted to close when one of the said objects is ung on the hook a spfing urgingthe switch into its circuit brea ing position, a photographic a paratus disposed in front of the rod and t e shutter of said apparatus adapted to be opened when the circuit is operative.

2. A booth game comprising a fishing-rod, a line secured to the fishing-rod, a hook at the outer end of the line, an electric circuit,

a number of objects ada ted to move in front of the book, a ring orne by each object and adapted to engage said hook, a switch in said circuit borne b the rod and adapted to close when one of t e said objects is hung on the hook, a spring urging the switch into its circuit breaking position a source of intense li ht and a photograp ic apparatus disposed 1n front of the rod, the shutter of said apparatus and an electromagnet inserted in the circuit and adapted to release the shutter and to ignite the source of light when excited by the current.

3. A booth game comprising a fishing-rod, a line secured to the fishing rod, a hook at the outer end of the line, an electric circuit, a number of objects adapted to move in front of the book, a ring borne by each object and adapted to engage said hook, a switch in said circuit borne by the rod and adapted to close when one of the said objects is hung on the hook, a spring urging the switch into its circuit breakin osition, a photographic apparatus dispose 1n front of the rod and the shutter of said apparatus adapted to be opened when the circuit is operative, and a c ockwork adapted to break the circuit a predetermined time after the beginning of the ame.

4. A booth game comprising a number of fishing rods disposed side by side, a line secured to each fishing rod, a hook at the outer end of each line, an electric circuit for each rod, a number of fish adapted to move in front of the hooks, a ring borne by each fish and adapted to engage said hooks, a switch in each circuit borne by the correspondin rod and adapted to close when one of the said fish is hung on the hook, a s ring urging each switch into its circuit brea in position, a photographic apparatus dis osed in front of each rod and the shutter 0 each apparatus adapted'to be opened when the corresponding circuit is operative.

5. A booth ame com rising a number of fishing rods disposed si e by side, a line secured to each rod, .a hook at the outer end of each line, an electric circuit for each rod, a number of objects adapted to move in front of the hooks, a ring borne by each object and adapted to engage said hooks, a switch in each said circu1t borne by the rod and adapted to close when one of the objects is hung on the hook, a spring urging each switch in its circuit breaking position, photoing the apparatuses and the sources 0 light and a scenery on the opposite side-of the rods with reference to. the apparatuses.

6. A booth ame com rising a number of fishing rods disposed si e by side, a line secured to each rod, a hook at the outer end of each line, an electric circuit for each rod, a number of fish, an annular pond in front of the rods, water in said pond, wherein the fish are adapted to float. a device for setting the water and the fish contained therein in motion, a ring borne by each fish and adapted enga said hooks, a switch in each said circuit orne by the rod and adapted to close when one of the fish is hung on the hook, a spring urging each switch in, its circuit breaking position, photographic apparatuses disposed 1n front of and obliquely with reference to the corresponding rod, a shutter for each apparatus, a source of intense light for each rod, an electromagnet in each circuit adapted to release the shutter and to ignite the source of ii ht when excited by the current, a scener hi ing the apparatuses and the sources 0 light and a scener on the opposite side of the rods with reference to t e apparatuses.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my 86 signature.

ANDRE VALLAT. 

